The Verge is reporting Microsoft is building its own gaming tablet. "The Xbox Surface will likely include a custom ARM processor and high-bandwidth RAM designed specifically for gaming tasks. We're told these specifications could be altered to accommodate an unannounced Intel SoC and that the Xbox Surface is being developed independent of specific hardware architecture. Microsoft's Xbox Surface won't run a full version of Windows, rather this 7-inch tablet will run a custom Windows kernel. Messaging and other tablet functions may be supported, but the focus is on gaming." Custom kernel. So, incompatible with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. Question. Why?

A legitimate concern ...consider how, not a long time ago, joysticks were the preferred game input method - and in those times, probably quite a few people couldn't imagine their favourite games on, say, WASD+mouse.

There is always a possibility of another similar paradigm shift (because it of course impacts also the games themselves - for example FPP and RTS which rose to prominence together with mouse, built around the core mechanic of... pointing at things) - and those of us who want buttons in mobile ~console, might face the need to seek out some more niche products; just like joystick-wielders nowadays do.